3 SCollins 3 mockingjay

«I don’t know what Haymitch knew.» «Could he have been part of the conspiracy?» asks Caesar.. Some decentspecies will inherit the smoking remains of the earth?» «I don’t really…I’m not s

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice But now that she’smade it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe The Capitol is angry The Capitol wantsrevenge Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss And what’s worse, President Snowhas made it clear that no one else is safe either Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people

of District 12 Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’sgroundbreaking Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year

MOCKINGJAY

by SUZANNE COLLINS

For Cap, Charlie, and Isabel

PART I

«THE ASHES»

1

I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather This iswhere the bed I shared with my sister, Prim, stood Over there was the kitchen table The bricks of thechimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a point of reference for the rest of the house.How else could I orient myself in this sea of gray?

Almost nothing remains of District 12 A month ago, the Capitol’s firebombs obliterated thepoor coal miners’ houses in the Seam, the shops in the town, even the Justice Building The only areathat escaped incineration was the Victor’s Village I don’t know why exactly Perhaps so anyoneforced to come here on Capitol business would have somewhere decent to stay The odd reporter Acommittee assessing the condition of the coal mines A squad of Peacekeepers checking for returningrefugees

But no one is returning except me And that’s only for a brief visit The authorities in District 13were against my coming back They viewed it as a costly and pointless venture, given that at least adozen invisible hovercraft are circling overhead for my protection and there’s no intelligence to begained I had to see it, though So much so that I made it a condition of my cooperating with any oftheir plans

Finally, Plutarch Heavensbee, the Head Gamemaker who had organized the rebels in theCapitol, threw up his hands «Let her go Better to waste a day than another month Maybe a little tour

of Twelve is just what she needs to convince her we’re on the same side.»

The same side A pain stabs my left temple and I press my hand against it Right on the spotwhere Johanna Mason hit me with the coil of wire The memories swirl as I try to sort out what istrue and what is false What series of events led me to be standing in the ruins of my city? This is hardbecause the effects of the concussion she gave me haven’t completely subsided and my thoughts stillhave a tendency to jumble together Also, the drugs they use to control my pain and mood sometimesmake me see things I guess I’m still not entirely convinced that I was hallucinating the night the floor

of my hospital room transformed into a carpet of writhing snakes

I use a technique one of the doctors suggested I start with the simplest things I know to be trueand work toward the more complicated The list begins to roll in my head…

My name is Katniss Everdeen I am seventeen years old My home is District 12 I was in theHunger Games I escaped The Capitol hates me Peeta was taken prisoner He is thought to be dead.Most likely he is dead It is probably best if he is dead…

«Katniss Should I come down?» My best friend Gale’s voice reaches me through the headset therebels insisted I wear He’s up in a hovercraft, watching me carefully, ready to swoop in if anythinggoes amiss I realize I’m crouched down now, elbows on my thighs, my head braced between myhands I must look on the verge of some kind of breakdown This won’t do Not when they’re finallyweaning me off the medication

I straighten up and wave his offer away «No I’m fine.» To reinforce this, I begin to move awayfrom my old house and in toward the town Gale asked to be dropped off in 12 with me, but he didn’tforce the issue when I refused his company He understands I don’t want anyone with me today Noteven him Some walks you have to take alone

The summer’s been scorching hot and dry as a bone There’s been next to no rain to disturb thepiles of ash left by the attack They shift here and there, in reaction to my footsteps No breeze toscatter them I keep my eyes on what I remember as the road, because when I first landed in the

Meadow, I wasn’t careful and I walked right into a rock Only it wasn’t a rock—it was someone’sskull It rolled over and over and landed faceup, and for a long time I couldn’t stop looking at theteeth, wondering whose they were, thinking of how mine would probably look the same way undersimilar circumstances.

I stick to the road out of habit, but it’s a bad choice, because it’s full of the remains of those whotried to flee Some were incinerated entirely But others, probably overcome with smoke, escaped theworst of the flames and now lie reeking in various states of decomposition, carrion for scavengers,blanketed by flies.I killed you, I think as I pass a pile And you And you

Because I did It was my arrow, aimed at the chink in the force field surrounding the arena, thatbrought on this firestorm of retribution That sent the whole country of Panem into chaos

In my head I hear President Snow’s words, spoken the morning I was to begin the Victory Tour

«Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, you have provided a spark that, left unattended,may grow to an inferno that destroys Panem.» It turns out he wasn’t exaggerating or simply trying toscare me He was, perhaps, genuinely attempting to enlist my help But I had already set something inmotion that I had no ability to control

Burning Still burning,I think numbly The fires at the coal mines belch black smoke in thedistance There’s no one left to care, though More than ninety percent of the district’s population isdead The remaining eight hundred or so are refugees in District 13—which, as far as I’m concerned,

is the same thing as being homeless forever

I know I shouldn’t think that; I know I should be grateful for the way we have been welcomed.Sick, wounded, starving, and empty-handed Still, I can never get around the fact that District 13 wasinstrumental in 12’s destruction This doesn’t absolve me of blame—there’s plenty of blame to goaround But without them, I would not have been part of a larger plot to overthrow the Capitol or hadthe wherewithal to do it

The citizens of District 12 had no organized resistance movement of their own No say in any ofthis They only had the misfortune to have me Some survivors think it’s good luck, though, to be free

of District 12 at last To have escaped the endless hunger and oppression, the perilous mines, the lash

of our final Head Peacekeeper, Romulus Thread To have a new home at all is seen as a wondersince, up until a short time ago, we hadn’t even known that District 13 still existed

The credit for the survivors’ escape has landed squarely on Gale’s shoulders, although he’sloath to accept it As soon as the Quarter Quell was over—as soon as I had been lifted from the arena

—the electricity in District 12 was cut, the televisions went black, and the Seam became so silent,people could hear one another’s heartbeats No one did anything to protest or celebrate what hadhappened in the arena Yet within fifteen minutes, the sky was filled with hoverplanes and the bombswere raining down

It was Gale who thought of the Meadow, one of the few places not filled with old woodenhomes embedded with coal dust He herded those he could in its direction, including my mother andPrim He formed the team that pulled down the fence—now just a harmless chain-link barrier, withthe electricity off—and led the people into the woods He took them to the only place he could think

of, the lake my father had shown me as a child And it was from there they watched the distant flameseat up everything they knew in the world

By dawn the bombers were long gone, the fires dying, the final stragglers rounded up My motherand Prim had set up a medical area for the injured and were attempting to treat them with whateverthey could glean from the woods Gale had two sets of bows and arrows, one hunting knife, onefishing net, and over eight hundred terrified people to feed With the help of those who were able-

bodied, they managed for three days And that’s when the hovercraft unexpectedly arrived to evacuatethem to District 13, where there were more than enough clean, white living compartments, plenty ofclothing, and three meals a day The compartments had the disadvantage of being underground, theclothing was identical, and the food was relatively tasteless, but for the refugees of 12, these wereminor considerations They were safe They were being cared for They were alive and eagerlywelcomed.

This enthusiasm was interpreted as kindness But a man named Dalton, a District 10 refugeewho’d made it to 13 on foot a few years ago, leaked the real motive to me «They need you Me Theyneed us all Awhile back, there was some sort of pox epidemic that killed a bunch of them and left alot more infertile New breeding stock That’s how they see us.» Back in 10, he’d worked on one ofthe beef ranches, maintaining the genetic diversity of the herd with the implantation of long-frozencow embryos He’s very likely right about 13, because there don’t seem to be nearly enough kidsaround But so what? We’re not being kept in pens, we’re being trained for work, the children arebeing educated Those over fourteen have been given entry-level ranks in the military and areaddressed respectfully as «Soldier.» Every single refugee was granted automatic citizenship by theauthorities of 13

Still, I hate them But, of course, I hate almost everybody now Myself more than anyone

The surface beneath my feet hardens, and under the carpet of ash, I feel the paving stones of thesquare Around the perimeter is a shallow border of refuse where the shops stood A heap ofblackened rubble has replaced the Justice Building I walk to the approximate site of the bakeryPeeta’s family owned Nothing much left but the melted lump of the oven Peeta’s parents, his twoolder brothers—none of them made it to 13 Fewer than a dozen of what passed for District 12’swell-to-do escaped the fire Peeta would have nothing to come home to, anyway Except me…

I back away from the bakery and bump into something, lose my balance, and find myself sitting

on a hunk of sun-heated metal I puzzle over what it might have been, then remember Thread’s recentrenovations of the square Stocks, whipping posts, and this, the remains of the gallows Bad This isbad It brings on the flood of images that torments me, awake or asleep Peeta being tortured—drowned, burned, lacerated, shocked, maimed, beaten—as the Capitol tries to get information aboutthe rebellion that he doesn’t know I squeeze my eyes shut and try to reach for him across the hundredsand hundreds of miles, to send my thoughts into his mind, to let him know he is not alone But he is.And I can’t help him

Running Away from the square and to the one place the fire did not destroy I pass the wreckage

of the mayor’s house, where my friend Madge lived No word of her or her family Were theyevacuated to the Capitol because of her father’s position, or left to the flames? Ashes billow uparound me, and I pull the hem of my shirt up over my mouth It’s not wondering what I breathe in, butwho, that threatens to choke me

The grass has been scorched and the gray snow fell here as well, but the twelve fine houses ofthe Victor’s Village are unscathed I bolt into the house I lived in for the past year, slam the doorclosed, and lean back against it The place seems untouched Clean Eerily quiet Why did I comeback to 12? How can this visit help me answer the question I can’t escape?

«What am I going to do?» I whisper to the walls Because I really don’t know

People keep talking at me, talking, talking, talking Plutarch Heavensbee His calculatingassistant, Fulvia Cardew A mishmash of district leaders Military officials But not Alma Coin, thepresident of 13, who just watches She’s fifty or so, with gray hair that falls in an unbroken sheet toher shoulders I’m somewhat fascinated by her hair, since it’s so uniform, so without a flaw, a wisp,

even a split end Her eyes are gray, but not like those of people from the Seam They’re very pale, as

if almost all the color has been sucked out of them The color of slush that you wish would melt away.What they want is for me to truly take on the role they designed for me The symbol of therevolution The Mockingjay It isn’t enough, what I’ve done in the past, defying the Capitol in theGames, providing a rallying point I must now become the actual leader, the face, the voice, theembodiment of the revolution The person who the districts—most of which are now openly at warwith the Capitol—can count on to blaze the path to victory I won’t have to do it alone They have awhole team of people to make me over, dress me, write my speeches, orchestrate my appearances—

as ifthat doesn’t sound horribly familiar—and all I have to do is play my part Sometimes I listen tothem and sometimes I just watch the perfect line of Coin’s hair and try to decide if it’s a wig.Eventually, I leave the room because my head starts to ache or it’s time to eat or if I don’t getaboveground I might start screaming I don’t bother to say anything I simply get up and walk out

Yesterday afternoon, as the door was closing behind me, I heard Coin say, «I told you we shouldhave rescued the boy first.» Meaning Peeta I couldn’t agree more He would’ve been an excellentmouthpiece

And who did they fish out of the arena instead? Me, who won’t cooperate Beetee, an olderinventor from 3, who I rarely see because he was pulled into weapons development the minute hecould sit upright Literally, they wheeled his hospital bed into some top secret area and now he onlyoccasionally shows up for meals He’s very smart and very willing to help the cause, but not reallyfirebrand material Then there’s Finnick Odair, the sex symbol from the fishing district, who keptPeeta alive in the arena when I couldn’t They want to transform Finnick into a rebel leader as well,but first they’ll have to get him to stay awake for more than five minutes Even when he is conscious,you have to say everything to him three times to get through to his brain The doctors say it’s from theelectrical shock he received in the arena, but I know it’s a lot more complicated than that I know thatFinnick can’t focus on anything in 13 because he’s trying so hard to see what’s happening in theCapitol to Annie, the mad girl from his district who’s the only person on earth he loves

Despite serious reservations, I had to forgive Finnick for his role in the conspiracy that landed

me here He, at least, has some idea of what I’m going through And it takes too much energy to stayangry with someone who cries so much

I move through the downstairs on hunter’s feet, reluctant to make any sound I pick up a fewremembrances: a photo of my parents on their wedding day, a blue hair ribbon for Prim, the familybook of medicinal and edible plants The book falls open to a page with yellow flowers and I shut itquickly because it was Peeta’s brush that painted them

What am I going to do?

Is there any point in doing anything at all? My mother, my sister, and Gale’s family are finallysafe As for the rest of 12, people are either dead, which is irreversible, or protected in 13 Thatleaves the rebels in the districts Of course, I hate the Capitol, but I have no confidence that my beingthe Mockingjay will benefit those who are trying to bring it down How can I help the districts whenevery time I make a move, it results in suffering and loss of life? The old man shot in District 11 forwhistling The crackdown in 12 after I intervened in Gale’s whipping My stylist, Cinna, beingdragged, bloody and unconscious, from the Launch Room before the Games Plutarch’s sourcesbelieve he was killed during interrogation

Brilliant, enigmatic, lovely Cinna is dead because of me I push the thought away because it’stoo impossibly painful to dwell on without losing my fragile hold on the situation entirely

What am I going to do?

To become the Mockingjay…could any good I do possibly outweigh the damage? Who can Itrust to answer that question? Certainly not that crew in 13 I swear, now that my family and Gale’sare out of harm’s way, I could run away Except for one unfinished piece of business Peeta If I knewfor sure that he was dead, I could just disappear into the woods and never look back But until I do,I’m stuck.

I spin on my heel at the sound of a hiss In the kitchen doorway, back arched, ears flattened,stands the ugliest tomcat in the world «Buttercup,» I say Thousands of people are dead, but he hassurvived and even looks well fed On what? He can get in and out of the house through a window wealways left ajar in the pantry He must have been eating field mice I refuse to consider thealternative

I squat down and extend a hand «Come here, boy.» Not likely He’s angry at his abandonment.Besides, I’m not offering food, and my ability to provide scraps has always been my main redeemingquality to him For a while, when we used to meet up at the old house because we both disliked thisnew one, we seemed to be bonding a little That’s clearly over He blinks those unpleasant yelloweyes

«Want to see Prim?» I ask Her name catches his attention Besides his own, it’s the only wordthat means anything to him He gives a rusty meow and approaches me I pick him up, stroking his fur,then go to the closet and dig out my game bag and unceremoniously stuff him in There’s no other wayI’ll be able to carry him on the hovercraft, and he means the world to my sister Her goat, Lady, ananimal of actual value, has unfortunately not made an appearance

In my headset, I hear Gale’s voice telling me we must go back But the game bag has reminded

me of one more thing that I want I sling the strap of the bag over the back of a chair and dash up thesteps to my bedroom Inside the closet hangs my father’s hunting jacket Before the Quell, I brought ithere from the old house, thinking its presence might be of comfort to my mother and sister when I wasdead Thank goodness, or it’d be ash now

The soft leather feels soothing and for a moment I’m calmed by the memories of the hours spentwrapped in it Then, inexplicably, my palms begin to sweat A strange sensation creeps up the back of

my neck I whip around to face the room and find it empty Tidy Everything in its place There was

no sound to alarm me What, then?

My nose twitches It’s the smell Cloying and artificial A dab of white peeks out of a vase ofdried flowers on my dresser I approach it with cautious steps There, all but obscured by itspreserved cousins, is a fresh white rose Perfect Down to the last thorn and silken petal

And I know immediately who’s sent it to me

President Snow

When I begin to gag at the stench, I back away and clear out How long has it been here? A day?

An hour? The rebels did a security sweep of the Victor’s Village before I was cleared to come here,checking for explosives, bugs, anything unusual But perhaps the rose didn’t seem noteworthy to them.Only to me

Downstairs, I snag the game bag off the chair, bouncing it along the floor until I remember it’soccupied On the lawn, I frantically signal to the hovercraft while Buttercup thrashes I jab him with

my elbow, but this only infuriates him A hovercraft materializes and a ladder drops down I step onand the current freezes me until I’m lifted on board

Gale helps me from the ladder «You all right?»

«Yeah,» I say, wiping the sweat off my face with my sleeve

He left me a rose!I want to scream, but it’s not information I’m sure I should share with someone

like Plutarch looking on First of all, because it will make me sound crazy Like I either imagined it,which is quite possible, or I’m overreacting, which will buy me a trip back to the drug-induceddreamland I’m trying so hard to escape No one will fully understand—how it’s not just a flower, noteven just President Snow’s flower, but a promise of revenge—because no one else sat in the studywith him when he threatened me before the Victory Tour.

Positioned on my dresser, that white-as-snow rose is a personal message to me It speaks ofunfinished business It whispers,I can find you I can reach you Perhaps I am watching you now

2

Are there Capitol hoverplanes speeding in to blow us out of the sky? As we travel over District

12, I watch anxiously for signs of an attack, but nothing pursues us After several minutes, when I hear

an exchange between Plutarch and the pilot confirming that the airspace is clear, I begin to relax alittle

Gale nods at the howls coming from my game bag «Now I know why you had to go back.»

«If there was even a chance of his recovery.» I dump the bag onto a seat, where the loathsomecreature begins a low, deep-throated growl «Oh, shut up,» I tell the bag as I sink into the cushionedwindow seat across from it

Gale sits next to me «Pretty bad down there?»

«Couldn’t be much worse,» I answer I look in his eyes and see my own grief reflected there.Our hands find each other, holding fast to a part of 12 that Snow has somehow failed to destroy Wesit in silence for the rest of the trip to 13, which only takes about forty-five minutes A mere week’sjourney on foot Bonnie and Twill, the District 8 refugees who I encountered in the woods last winter,weren’t so far from their destination after all They apparently didn’t make it, though When I askedabout them in 13, no one seemed to know who I was talking about Died in the woods, I guess

From the air, 13 looks about as cheerful as 12 The rubble isn’t smoking, the way the Capitolshows it on television, but there’s next to no life aboveground In the seventy-five years since theDark Days—when 13 was said to have been obliterated in the war between the Capitol and thedistricts—almost all new construction has been beneath the earth’s surface There was already asubstantial underground facility here, developed over centuries to be either a clandestine refuge forgovernment leaders in time of war or a last resort for humanity if life above became unlivable Mostimportant for the people of 13, it was the center of the Capitol’s nuclear weapons developmentprogram During the Dark Days, the rebels in 13 wrested control from the government forces, trainedtheir nuclear missiles on the Capitol, and then struck a bargain: They would play dead in exchange forbeing left alone The Capitol had another nuclear arsenal out west, but it couldn’t attack 13 withoutcertain retaliation It was forced to accept 13’s deal The Capitol demolished the visible remains ofthe district and cut off all access from the outside Perhaps the Capitol’s leaders thought that, withouthelp, 13 would die off on its own It almost did a few times, but it always managed to pull throughdue to strict sharing of resources, strenuous discipline, and constant vigilance against any furtherattacks from the Capitol

Now the citizens live almost exclusively underground You can go outside for exercise andsunlight but only at very specific times in your schedule You can’t miss your schedule Everymorning, you’re supposed to stick your right arm in this contraption in the wall It tattoos the smoothinside of your forearm with your schedule for the day in a sickly purple ink 7:00—Breakfast 7:30—Kitchen Duties 8:30—Education Center, Room 17 And so on The ink is indelible until 22:00—Bathing That’s when whatever keeps it water resistant breaks down and the whole schedule rinsesaway The lights-out at 22:30 signals that everyone not on the night shift should be in bed

At first, when I was so ill in the hospital, I could forgo being imprinted But once I moved intoCompartment 307 with my mother and sister, I was expected to get with the program Except forshowing up for meals, though, I pretty much ignore the words on my arm I just go back to ourcompartment or wander around 13 or fall asleep somewhere hidden An abandoned air duct Behindthe water pipes in the laundry There’s a closet in the Education Center that’s great because no one

ever seems to need school supplies They’re so frugal with things here, waste is practically acriminal activity Fortunately, the people of 12 have never been wasteful But once I saw FulviaCardew crumple up a sheet of paper with just a couple of words written on it and you would’vethought she’d murdered someone from the looks she got Her face turned tomato red, making the silverflowers inlaid in her plump cheeks even more noticeable The very portrait of excess One of my fewpleasures in 13 is watching the handful of pampered Capitol «rebels» squirming as they try to fit in.

I don’t know how long I’ll be able to get away with my complete disregard for the clockworkprecision of attendance required by my hosts Right now, they leave me alone because I’m classified

as mentally disoriented—it says so right on my plastic medical bracelet—and everyone has totolerate my ramblings But that can’t last forever Neither can their patience with the Mockingjayissue

From the landing pad, Gale and I walk down a series of stairways to Compartment 307 Wecould take the elevator, only it reminds me too much of the one that lifted me into the arena I’mhaving a hard time adjusting to being underground so much But after the surreal encounter with therose, for the first time the descent makes me feel safer

I hesitate at the door marked 307 , anticipating the questions from my family «What am I going

to tell them about Twelve?» I ask Gale

«I doubt they’ll ask for details They saw it burn They’ll mostly be worried about how you’rehandling it.» Gale touches my cheek «Like I am.»

I press my face against his hand for a moment «I’ll survive.»

Then I take a deep breath and open the door My mother and sister are home for 18:00—Reflection, a half hour of downtime before dinner I see the concern on their faces as they try to gauge

my emotional state Before anyone can ask anything, I empty my game bag and it becomes 18:00—CatAdoration Prim just sits on the floor weeping and rocking that awful Buttercup, who interrupts hispurring only for an occasional hiss at me He gives me a particularly smug look when she ties the blueribbon around his neck

My mother hugs the wedding photo tightly against her chest and then places it, along with thebook of plants, on our government-issued chest of drawers I hang my father’s jacket on the back of achair For a moment, the place almost seems like home So I guess the trip to 12 wasn’t a completewaste

We’re heading down to the dining hall for 18:30—Dinner when Gale’s communicuff begins tobeep It looks like an oversized watch, but it receives print messages Being granted a communicuff is

a special privilege that’s reserved for those important to the cause, a status Gale achieved by hisrescue of the citizens of 12 «They need the two of us in Command,» he says

Trailing a few steps behind Gale, I try to collect myself before I’m thrown into what’s sure to beanother relentless Mockingjay session I linger in the doorway of Command, the high-techmeeting/war council room complete with computerized talking walls, electronic maps showing thetroop movements in various districts, and a giant rectangular table with control panels I’m notsupposed to touch No one notices me, though, because they’re all gathered at a television screen atthe far end of the room that airs the Capitol broadcast around the clock I’m thinking I might be able toslip away when Plutarch, whose ample frame has been blocking the television, catches sight of meand waves urgently for me to join them I reluctantly move forward, trying to imagine how it could be

of interest to me It’s always the same War footage Propaganda Replaying the bombings of District

12 An ominous message from President Snow So it’s almost entertaining to see Caesar Flickerman,the eternal host of the Hunger Games, with his painted face and sparkly suit, preparing to give an

interview Until the camera pulls back and I see that his guest is Peeta.

A sound escapes me The same combination of gasp and groan that comes from being submerged

in water, deprived of oxygen to the point of pain I push people aside until I am right in front of him,

my hand resting on the screen I search his eyes for any sign of hurt, any reflection of the agony oftorture There is nothing Peeta looks healthy to the point of robustness His skin is glowing, flawless,

in that full-body-polish way His manner’s composed, serious I can’t reconcile this image with thebattered, bleeding boy who haunts my dreams

Caesar settles himself more comfortably in the chair across from Peeta and gives him a longlook

«So…Peeta…welcome back.»

Peeta smiles slightly «I bet you thought you’d done your last interview with me, Caesar.»

«I confess, I did,» says Caesar «The night before the Quarter Quell…well, who ever thoughtwe’d see you again?»

«It wasn’t part of my plan, that’s for sure,» says Peeta with a frown

Caesar leans in to him a little «I think it was clear to all of us what your plan was To sacrificeyourself in the arena so that Katniss Everdeen and your child could survive.»

«That was it Clear and simple.» Peeta’s fingers trace the upholstered pattern on the arm of thechair

«But other people had plans as well.»

Yes, other people had plans,I think Has Peeta guessed, then, how the rebels used us as pawns?How my rescue was arranged from the beginning? And finally, how our mentor, Haymitch Abernathy,betrayed us both for a cause he pretended to have no interest in?

In the silence that follows, I notice the lines that have formed between Peeta’s eyebrows He hasguessed or he has been told But the Capitol has not killed or even punished him For right now, thatexceeds my wildest hopes I drink in his wholeness, the soundness of his body and mind It runsthrough me like the morphling they give me in the hospital, dulling the pain of the last weeks

«Why don’t you tell us about that last night in the arena?» suggests Caesar «Help us sort a fewthings out.»

Peeta nods but takes his time speaking «That last night…to tell you about that last night…well,first of all, you have to imagine how it felt in the arena It was like being an insect trapped under abowl filled with steaming air And all around you, jungle…green and alive and ticking That giantclock ticking away your life Every hour promising some new horror You have to imagine that in thepast two days, sixteen people have died—some of them defending you At the rate things are going,the last eight will be dead by morning Save one The victor And your plan is that it won’t be you.»

My body breaks out in a sweat at the memory My hand slides down the screen and hangs limply

at my side Peeta doesn’t need a brush to paint images from the Games He works just as well inwords

«Once you’re in the arena, the rest of the world becomes very distant,» he continues «All thepeople and things you loved or cared about almost cease to exist The pink sky and the monsters in thejungle and the tributes who want your blood become your final reality, the only one that evermattered As bad as it makes you feel, you’re going to have to do some killing, because in the arena,you only get one wish And it’s very costly.»

«It costs your life,» says Caesar

«Oh, no It costs a lot more than your life To murder innocent people?» says Peeta «It costseverything you are.»

«Everything you are,» repeats Caesar quietly.

A hush has fallen over the room, and I can feel it spreading across Panem A nation leaning intoward its screens Because no one has ever talked about what it’s really like in the arena before

Peeta goes on «So you hold on to your wish And that last night, yes, my wish was to saveKatniss But even without knowing about the rebels, it didn’t feel right Everything was toocomplicated I found myself regretting I hadn’t run off with her earlier in the day, as she hadsuggested But there was no getting out of it at that point.»

«You were too caught up in Beetee’s plan to electrify the salt lake,» says Caesar

«Too busy playing allies with the others I should have never let them separate us!» Peeta burstsout

«That’s when I lost her.»

«When you stayed at the lightning tree, and she and Johanna Mason took the coil of wire down tothe water,» Caesar clarifies

«I didn’t want to!» Peeta flushes in agitation «But I couldn’t argue with Beetee withoutindicating we were about to break away from the alliance When that wire was cut, everything justwent insane I can only remember bits and pieces Trying to find her Watching Brutus kill Chaff.Killing Brutus myself I know she was calling my name Then the lightning bolt hit the tree, and theforce field around the arena…blew out.»

«Katniss blew it out, Peeta,» says Caesar «You’ve seen the footage.»

«She didn’t know what she was doing None of us could follow Beetee’s plan You can see hertrying to figure out what to do with that wire,» Peeta snaps back

«All right It just looks suspicious,» says Caesar «As if she was part of the rebels’ plan allalong.»

Peeta’s on his feet, leaning in to Caesar’s face, hands locked on the arms of his interviewer’schair

«Really? And was it part of her plan for Johanna to nearly kill her? For that electric shock toparalyze her? To trigger the bombing?» He’s yelling now «She didn’t know, Caesar! Neither of usknew anything except that we were trying to keep each other alive!»

Caesar places his hand on Peeta’s chest in a gesture that’s both self-protective and conciliatory

«Okay, Peeta, I believe you.»

«Okay.» Peeta withdraws from Caesar, pulling back his hands, running them through his hair,mussing his carefully styled blond curls He slumps back in his chair, distraught

Caesar waits a moment, studying Peeta «What about your mentor, Haymitch Abernathy?»

Peeta’s face hardens «I don’t know what Haymitch knew.»

«Could he have been part of the conspiracy?» asks Caesar

«He never mentioned it,» says Peeta

Caesar presses on «What does your heart tell you?»

«That I shouldn’t have trusted him,» says Peeta «That’s all.»

I haven’t seen Haymitch since I attacked him on the hovercraft, leaving long claw marks downhis face I know it’s been bad for him here District 13 strictly forbids any production or consumption

of intoxicating beverages, and even the rubbing alcohol in the hospital is kept under lock and key.Finally, Haymitch is being forced into sobriety, with no secret stashes or home-brewed concoctions

to ease his transition They’ve got him in seclusion until he’s dried out, as he’s not deemed fit forpublic display It must be excruciating, but I lost all my sympathy for Haymitch when I realized how

he had deceived us I hope he’s watching the Capitol broadcast now, so he can see that Peeta has cast

him off as well.

Caesar pats Peeta’s shoulder «We can stop now if you want.»

«Was there more to discuss?» says Peeta wryly

«I was going to ask your thoughts on the war, but if you’re too upset…» begins Caesar

«Oh, I’m not too upset to answer that.» Peeta takes a deep breath and then looks straight into thecamera «I want everyone watching—whether you’re on the Capitol or the rebel side—to stop for just

a moment and think about what this war could mean For human beings We almost went extinctfighting one another before Now our numbers are even fewer Our conditions more tenuous Is thisreally what we want to do? Kill ourselves off completely? In the hopes that—what? Some decentspecies will inherit the smoking remains of the earth?»

«I don’t really…I’m not sure I’m following…» says Caesar

«We can’t fight one another, Caesar,» Peeta explains «There won’t be enough of us left to keepgoing If everybody doesn’t lay down their weapons—and I mean, as invery soon —it’s all over,anyway.»

«So…you’re calling for a cease-fire?» Caesar asks

«Yes I’m calling for a cease-fire,» says Peeta tiredly «Now why don’t we ask the guards totake me back to my quarters so I can build another hundred card houses?»

Caesar turns to the camera «All right I think that wraps it up So back to our regularlyscheduled programming.»

Music plays them out, and then there’s a woman reading a list of expected shortages in theCapitol—fresh fruit, solar batteries, soap I watch her with uncharacteristic absorption, because Iknow everyone will be waiting for my reaction to the interview But there’s no way I can process itall so quickly—the joy of seeing Peeta alive and unharmed, his defense of my innocence incollaborating with the rebels, and his undeniable complicity with the Capitol now that he’s called for

a cease-fire Oh, he made it sound as if he were condemning both sides in the war But at this point,with only minor victories for the rebels, a cease-fire could only result in a return to our previousstatus Or worse

Behind me, I can hear the accusations against Peeta building The wordstraitor ,liar , andenemybounce off the walls Since I can neither join in the rebels’ outrage nor counter it, I decide the bestthing to do is clear out As I reach the door, Coin’s voice rises above the others «You have not beendismissed, Soldier Everdeen.»

One of Coin’s men lays a hand on my arm It’s not an aggressive move, really, but after thearena, I react defensively to any unfamiliar touch I jerk my arm free and take off running down thehalls Behind me, there’s the sound of a scuffle, but I don’t stop My mind does a quick inventory of

my odd little hiding places, and I wind up in the supply closet, curled up against a crate of chalk

«You’re alive,» I whisper, pressing my palms against my cheeks, feeling the smile that’s sowide it must look like a grimace Peeta’s alive And a traitor But at the moment, I don’t care Notwhat he says, or who he says it for, only that he is still capable of speech

After a while, the door opens and someone slips in Gale slides down beside me, his nosetrickling blood

«What happened?» I ask

«I got in Boggs’s way,» he answers with a shrug I use my sleeve to wipe his nose «Watch it!»

I try to be gentler Patting, not wiping «Which one is he?»

«Oh, you know Coin’s right-hand lackey The one who tried to stop you.» He pushes my handaway

«Quit! You’ll bleed me to death.»

The trickle has turned to a steady stream I give up on the first-aid attempts «You fought withBoggs?»

«No, just blocked the doorway when he tried to follow you His elbow caught me in the nose,»says Gale

«They’ll probably punish you,» I say

«Already have.» He holds up his wrist I stare at it uncomprehendingly «Coin took back mycommunicuff.»

I bite my lip, trying to remain serious But it seems so ridiculous «I’m sorry, Soldier GaleHawthorne.»

«Don’t be, Soldier Katniss Everdeen.» He grins «I felt like a jerk walking around with itanyway.» We both start laughing «I think it was quite a demotion.»

This is one of the few good things about 13 Getting Gale back With the pressure of theCapitol’s arranged marriage between Peeta and me gone, we’ve managed to regain our friendship Hedoesn’t push it any further—try to kiss me or talk about love Either I’ve been too sick, or he’swilling to give me space, or he knows it’s just too cruel with Peeta in the hands of the Capitol.Whatever the case, I’ve got someone to tell my secrets to again

«Who are these people?» I say

«They’re us If we’d had nukes instead of a few lumps of coal,» he answers

«I like to think Twelve wouldn’t have abandoned the rest of the rebels back in the Dark Days,» Isay

«We might have If it was that, surrender, or start a nuclear war,» says Gale «In a way, it’sremarkable they survived at all.»

Maybe it’s because I still have the ashes of my own district on my shoes, but for the first time, Igive the people of 13 something I have withheld from them: credit For staying alive against all odds.Their early years must have been terrible, huddled in the chambers beneath the ground after their citywas bombed to dust Population decimated, no possible ally to turn to for aid Over the past seventy-five years, they’ve learned to be self-sufficient, turned their citizens into an army, and built a newsociety with no help from anyone They would be even more powerful if that pox epidemic hadn’tflattened their birthrate and made them so desperate for a new gene pool and breeders Maybe theyare militaristic, overly programmed, and somewhat lacking in a sense of humor They’re here Andwilling to take on the Capitol

«Still, it took them long enough to show up,» I say

«It wasn’t simple They had to build up a rebel base in the Capitol, get some sort of undergroundorganized in the districts,» he says «Then they needed someone to set the whole thing in motion Theyneeded you.»

«They needed Peeta, too, but they seem to have forgotten that,» I say

Gale’s expression darkens «Peeta might have done a lot of damage tonight Most of the rebelswill dismiss what he said immediately, of course But there are districts where the resistance isshakier The cease-fire’s clearly President Snow’s idea But it seems so reasonable coming out ofPeeta’s mouth.»

I’m afraid of Gale’s answer, but I ask anyway «Why do you think he said it?»

«He might have been tortured Or persuaded My guess is he made some kind of deal to protectyou He’d put forth the idea of the cease-fire if Snow let him present you as a confused pregnant girlwho had no idea what was going on when she was taken prisoner by the rebels This way, if the

districts lose, there’s still a chance of leniency for you If you play it right.» I must still lookperplexed because Gale delivers the next line very slowly «Katniss…he’s still trying to keep youalive.»

To keep me alive?And then I understand The Games are still on We have left the arena, butsince Peeta and I weren’t killed, his last wish to preserve my life still stands His idea is to have melie low, remain safe and imprisoned, while the war plays out Then neither side will really havecause to kill me And Peeta? If the rebels win, it will be disastrous for him If the Capitol wins, whoknows? Maybe we’ll both be allowed to live—if I play it right—to watch the Games go on…

Images flash through my mind: the spear piercing Rue’s body in the arena, Gale hangingsenseless from the whipping post, the corpse-littered wasteland of my home And for what? Forwhat? As my blood turns hot, I remember other things My first glimpse of an uprising in District 8.The victors locked hand in hand the night before the Quarter Quell And how it was no accident, myshooting that arrow into the force field in the arena How badly I wanted it to lodge deep in the heart

of my enemy

I spring up, upsetting a box of a hundred pencils, sending them scattering around the floor

«What is it?» Gale asks

«There can’t be a cease-fire.» I lean down, fumbling as I shove the sticks of dark gray graphiteback into the box «We can’t go back.»

«I know.» Gale sweeps up a handful of pencils and taps them on the floor into perfect alignment

«Whatever reason Peeta had for saying those things, he’s wrong.» The stupid sticks won’t go inthe box and I snap several in my frustration

«I know Give it here You’re breaking them to bits.» He pulls the box from my hands and refills

it with swift, concise motions

«He doesn’t know what they did to Twelve If he could’ve seen what was on the ground» — Istart

«Katniss, I’m not arguing If I could hit a button and kill every living soul working for theCapitol, I would do it Without hesitation.» He slides the last pencil into the box and flips the lidclosed «The question is, what are you going to do?»

It turns out the question that’s been eating away at me has only ever had one possible answer.But it took Peeta’s ploy for me to recognize it

What am I going to do?

I take a deep breath My arms rise slightly—as if recalling the black-and-white wings Cinnagave me—then come to rest at my sides

«I’m going to be the Mockingjay.»

3

Buttercup’s eyes reflect the faint glow of the safety light over the door as he lies in the crook ofPrim’s arm, back on the job, protecting her from the night She’s snuggled close to my mother Asleep,they look just as they did the morning of the reaping that landed me in my first Games I have a bed tomyself because I’m recuperating and because no one can sleep with me anyway, what with thenightmares and the thrashing around

After tossing and turning for hours, I finally accept that it will be a wakeful night UnderButtercup’s watchful eye, I tiptoe across the cold tiled floor to the dresser

The middle drawer contains my government-issued clothes Everyone wears the same gray pantsand shirt, the shirt tucked in at the waist Underneath the clothes, I keep the few items I had on mewhen I was lifted from the arena My mockingjay pin Peeta’s token, the gold locket with photos of mymother and Prim and Gale inside A silver parachute that holds a spile for tapping trees, and the pearlPeeta gave me a few hours before I blew out the force field District 13 confiscated my tube of skinointment for use in the hospital, and my bow and arrows because only guards have clearance to carryweapons They’re in safekeeping in the armory

I feel around for the parachute and slide my fingers inside until they close around the pearl I sitback on my bed cross-legged and find myself rubbing the smooth iridescent surface of the pearl backand forth against my lips For some reason, it’s soothing A cool kiss from the giver himself

«Katniss?» Prim whispers She’s awake, peering at me through the darkness «What’s wrong?»

«Nothing Just a bad dream Go back to sleep.» It’s automatic Shutting Prim and my mother out

of things to shield them

Careful not to rouse my mother, Prim eases herself from the bed, scoops up Buttercup, and sitsbeside me She touches the hand that has curled around the pearl «You’re cold.» Taking a spareblanket from the foot of the bed, she wraps it around all three of us, enveloping me in her warmth andButtercup’s furry heat as well «You could tell me, you know I’m good at keeping secrets Even fromMother.»

She’s really gone, then The little girl with the back of her shirt sticking out like a duck tail, theone who needed help reaching the dishes, and who begged to see the frosted cakes in the bakerywindow Time and tragedy have forced her to grow too quickly, at least for my taste, into a youngwoman who stitches bleeding wounds and knows our mother can hear only so much

«Tomorrow morning, I’m going to agree to be the Mockingjay,» I tell her

«Because you want to or because you feel forced into it?» she asks

I laugh a little «Both, I guess No, I want to I have to, if it will help the rebels defeat Snow.» Isqueeze the pearl more tightly in my fist «It’s just…Peeta I’m afraid if we do win, the rebels willexecute him as a traitor.»

Prim thinks this over «Katniss, I don’t think you understand how important you are to the cause.Important people usually get what they want If you want to keep Peeta safe from the rebels, you can.»

I guess I’m important They went to a lot of trouble to rescue me They took me to 12 «Youmean…I could demand that they give Peeta immunity? And they’d have to agree to it?»

«I think you could demand almost anything and they’d have to agree to it.» Prim wrinkles herbrow «Only how do you know they’ll keep their word?»

I remember all of the lies Haymitch told Peeta and me to get us to do what he wanted What’s tokeep the rebels from reneging on the deal? A verbal promise behind closed doors, even a statement

written on paper—these could easily evaporate after the war Their existence or validity denied Anywitnesses in Command will be worthless In fact, they’d probably be the ones writing out Peeta’sdeath warrant I’ll need a much larger pool of witnesses I’ll need everyone I can get.

«It will have to be public,» I say Buttercup gives a flick of his tail that I take as agreement «I’llmake Coin announce it in front of the entire population of Thirteen.»

Prim smiles «Oh, that’s good It’s not a guarantee, but it will be much harder for them to backout of their promise.»

I feel the kind of relief that follows an actual solution «I should wake you up more often, littleduck.»

«I wish you would,» says Prim She gives me a kiss «Try and sleep now, all right?» And I do

In the morning, I see that 7:00—Breakfast is directly followed by 7:30—Command , which isfine since I may as well start the ball rolling At the dining hall, I flash my schedule, which includessome kind of ID number, in front of a sensor As I slide my tray along the metal shelf before the vats

of food, I see breakfast is its usual dependable self—a bowl of hot grain, a cup of milk, and a smallscoop of fruit or vegetables Today, mashed turnips All of it comes from 13’s underground farms Isit at the table assigned to the Everdeens and the Hawthornes and some other refugees, and shovel myfood down, wishing for seconds, but there are never seconds here They have nutrition down to ascience You leave with enough calories to take you to the next meal, no more, no less Serving size isbased on your age, height, body type, health, and amount of physical labor required by your schedule.The people from 12 are already getting slightly larger portions than the natives of 13 in an effort tobring us up to weight I guess bony soldiers tire too quickly It’s working, though In just a month,we’re starting to look healthier, particularly the kids

Gale sets his tray beside me and I try not to stare at his turnips too pathetically, because I reallywant more, and he’s already too quick to slip me his food Even though I turn my attention to neatlyfolding my napkin, a spoonful of turnips slops into my bowl

«You’ve got to stop that,» I say But since I’m already scooping up the stuff, it’s not tooconvincing

«Really It’s probably illegal or something.» They have very strict rules about food Forinstance, if you don’t finish something and want to save it for later, you can’t take it from the dininghall Apparently, in the early days, there was some incident of food hoarding For a couple of peoplelike Gale and me, who’ve been in charge of our families’ food supply for years, it doesn’t sit well

We know how to be hungry, but not how to be told how to handle what provisions we have In someways, District 13 is even more controlling than the Capitol

«What can they do? They’ve already got my communicuff,» says Gale

As I scrape my bowl clean, I have an inspiration «Hey, maybe I should make that a condition ofbeing the Mockingjay.»

«That I can feed you turnips?» he says

«No, that we can hunt.» That gets his attention «We’d have to give everything to the kitchen Butstill, we could…» I don’t have to finish because he knows We could be aboveground Out in thewoods We could be ourselves again

«Do it,» he says «Now’s the time You could ask for the moon and they’d have to find someway to get it.»

He doesn’t know that I’m already asking for the moon by demanding they spare Peeta’s life.Before I can decide whether or not to tell him, a bell signals the end of our eating shift The thought offacing Coin alone makes me nervous «What are you scheduled for?»

Gale checks his arm «Nuclear History class Where, by the way, your absence has been noted.»

«I have to go to Command Come with me?» I ask

«All right But they might throw me out after yesterday.» As we go to drop off our trays, he says,

«You know, you better put Buttercup on your list of demands, too I don’t think the concept of uselesspets is well known here.»

«Oh, they’ll find him a job Tattoo it on his paw every morning,» I say But I make a mental note

to include him for Prim’s sake

By the time we get to Command, Coin, Plutarch, and all their people have already assembled.The sight of Gale raises some eyebrows, but no one throws him out My mental notes have becometoo jumbled, so I ask for a piece of paper and a pencil right off My apparent interest in theproceedings—the first I’ve shown since I’ve been here—takes them by surprise Several looks areexchanged Probably they had some extra-special lecture planned for me But instead, Coinpersonally hands me the supplies, and everyone waits in silence while I sit at the table and scrawl out

my list.Buttercup Hunting Peeta’s immunity Announced in public

This is it Probably my only chance to bargain.Think What else do you want? I feel him,standing at my shoulder.Gale , I add to the list I don’t think I can do this without him

The headache’s coming on and my thoughts begin to tangle I shut my eyes and start to recitesilently

My name is Katniss Everdeen I am seventeen years old My home is District 12 I was in theHunger Games I escaped The Capitol hates me Peeta was taken prisoner He is alive He is a traitorbut alive I have to keep him alive…

The list It still seems too small I should try to think bigger, beyond our current situation where I

am of the utmost importance, to the future where I may be worth nothing Shouldn’t I be asking formore? For my family? For the remainder of my people? My skin itches with the ashes of the dead Ifeel the sickening impact of the skull against my shoe The scent of blood and roses stings my nose

The pencil moves across the page on its own I open my eyes and see the wobbly letters.I KILLSNOW If he’s captured, I want the privilege

Plutarch gives a discreet cough «About done there?» I glance up and notice the clock I’ve beensitting here for twenty minutes Finnick isn’t the only one with attention problems

«Yeah,» I say My voice sounds hoarse, so I clear my throat «Yeah, so this is the deal I’ll beyour Mockingjay.»

I wait so they can make their sounds of relief, congratulate, slap one another on the back Coinstays as impassive as ever, watching me, unimpressed

«But I have some conditions.» I smooth out the list and begin «My family gets to keep our cat.»

My tiniest request sets off an argument The Capitol rebels see this as a nonissue—of course, I cankeep my pet—while those from 13 spell out what extreme difficulties this presents Finally it’sworked out that we’ll be moved to the top level, which has the luxury of an eight-inch windowaboveground Buttercup may come and go to do his business He will be expected to feed himself If

he misses curfew, he will be locked out If he causes any security problems, he’ll be shotimmediately

That sounds okay Not so different from how he’s been living since we left Except for theshooting part

If he looks too thin, I can slip him a few entrails, provided my next request is allowed

«I want to hunt With Gale Out in the woods,» I say This gives everyone pause

«We won’t go far We’ll use our own bows You can have the meat for the kitchen,» adds Gale

I hurry on before they can say no «It’s just…I can’t breathe shut up here like a…I would getbetter, faster, if…I could hunt.»

Plutarch begins to explain the drawbacks here—the dangers, the extra security, the risk of injury

—but Coin cuts him off «No Let them Give them two hours a day, deducted from their training time

A quarter-mile radius With communication units and tracker anklets What’s next?»

I skim my list «Gale I’ll need him with me to do this.»

«With you how? Off camera? By your side at all times? Do you want him presented as your newlover?» Coin asks

She hasn’t said this with any particular malice—quite the contrary, her words are very of-fact

matter-But my mouth still drops open in shock «What?»

«I think we should continue the current romance A quick defection from Peeta could cause theaudience to lose sympathy for her,» says Plutarch «Especially since they think she’s pregnant withhis child.»

«Agreed So, on-screen, Gale can simply be portrayed as a fellow rebel Is that all right?» saysCoin I just stare at her She repeats herself impatiently «For Gale Will that be sufficient?»

«We can always work him in as your cousin,» says Fulvia

«We’re not cousins,» Gale and I say together

«Right, but we should probably keep that up for appearances’ sake on camera,» says Plutarch

«Off camera, he’s all yours Anything else?»

I’m rattled by the turn in the conversation The implications that I could so readily dispose ofPeeta, that I’m in love with Gale, that the whole thing has been an act My cheeks begin to burn Thevery notion that I’m devoting any thought to who I want presented as my lover, given our currentcircumstances, is demeaning I let my anger propel me into my greatest demand «When the war isover, if we’ve won, Peeta will be pardoned.»

Dead silence I feel Gale’s body tense I guess I should have told him before, but I wasn’t surehow he’d respond Not when it involved Peeta

«No form of punishment will be inflicted,» I continue A new thought occurs to me «The samegoes for the other captured tributes, Johanna and Enobaria.» Frankly, I don’t care about Enobaria, thevicious District 2 tribute In fact, I dislike her, but it seems wrong to leave her out

«No,» says Coin flatly

«Yes,» I shoot back «It’s not their fault you abandoned them in the arena Who knows what theCapitol’s doing to them?»

«They’ll be tried with other war criminals and treated as the tribunal sees fit,» she says

«They’ll be granted immunity!» I feel myself rising from my chair, my voice full and resonant

«You will personally pledge this in front of the entire population of District Thirteen and theremainder of Twelve Soon Today It will be recorded for future generations You will hold yourselfand your government responsible for their safety, or you’ll find yourself another Mockingjay!»

My words hang in the air for a long moment

«That’s her!» I hear Fulvia hiss to Plutarch «Right there With the costume, gunfire in thebackground, just a hint of smoke.»

«Yes, that’s what we want,» says Plutarch under his breath

I want to glare at them, but I feel it would be a mistake to turn my attention from Coin I can seeher tallying the cost of my ultimatum, weighing it against my possible worth

«What do you say, President?» asks Plutarch «You could issue an official pardon, given the

circumstances The boy…he’s not even of age.»

«All right,» Coin says finally «But you’d better perform.»

«I’ll perform when you’ve made the announcement,» I say

«Call a national security assembly during Reflection today,» she orders «I’ll make theannouncement then Is there anything left on your list, Katniss?»

My paper’s crumpled into a ball in my right fist I flatten the sheet against the table and read therickety letters «Just one more thing I kill Snow.»

For the first time ever, I see the hint of a smile on the president’s lips «When the time comes,I’ll flip you for it.»

Maybe she’s right I certainly don’t have the sole claim against Snow’s life And I think I cancount on her getting the job done «Fair enough.»

Coin’s eyes have flickered to her arm, the clock She, too, has a schedule to adhere to «I’llleave her in your hands, then, Plutarch.» She exits the room, followed by her team, leaving onlyPlutarch, Fulvia, Gale, and myself

«Excellent Excellent.» Plutarch sinks down, elbows on the table, rubbing his eyes «You knowwhat I miss? More than anything? Coffee I ask you, would it be so unthinkable to have something towash down the gruel and turnips?»

«We didn’t think it would be quite so rigid here,» Fulvia explains to us as she massagesPlutarch’s shoulders «Not in the higher ranks.»

«Or at least there’d be the option of a little side action,» says Plutarch «I mean, even Twelvehad a black market, right?»

«Yeah, the Hob,» says Gale «It’s where we traded.»

«There, you see? And look how moral you two are! Virtually incorruptible.» Plutarch sighs

«Oh, well, wars don’t last forever So, glad to have you on the team.» He reaches a hand out to theside, where Fulvia is already extending a large sketchbook bound in black leather «You know ingeneral what we’re asking of you, Katniss I’m aware you have mixed feelings about participating Ihope this will help.»

Plutarch slides the sketchbook across to me For a moment, I look at it suspiciously Thencuriosity gets the better of me I open the cover to find a picture of myself, standing straight andstrong, in a black uniform Only one person could have designed the outfit, at first glance utterlyutilitarian, at second a work of art The swoop of the helmet, the curve to the breastplate, the slightfullness of the sleeves that allows the white folds under the arms to show In his hands, I am again amockingjay

«Cinna,» I whisper

«Yes He made me promise not to show you this book until you’d decided to be the Mockingjay

on your own Believe me, I was very tempted,» says Plutarch «Go on Flip through.»

I turn the pages slowly, seeing each detail of the uniform The carefully tailored layers of bodyarmor, the hidden weapons in the boots and belt, the special reinforcements over my heart On thefinal page, under a sketch of my mockingjay pin, Cinna’s written, I’m still betting on you

«When did he…» My voice fails me

«Let’s see Well, after the Quarter Quell announcement A few weeks before the Games maybe?There are not only the sketches We have your uniforms Oh, and Beetee’s got something reallyspecial waiting for you down in the armory I won’t spoil it by hinting,» says Plutarch

«You’re going to be the best-dressed rebel in history,» says Gale with a smile Suddenly, Irealize he’s been holding out on me Like Cinna, he’s wanted me to make this decision all along

«Our plan is to launch an Airtime Assault,» says Plutarch «To make a series of what we callpropos—which is short for ‘propaganda spots’—featuring you, and broadcast them to the entirepopulation of Panem.»

«How? The Capitol has sole control of the broadcasts,» says Gale

«But we have Beetee About ten years ago, he essentially redesigned the underground networkthat transmits all the programming He thinks there’s a reasonable chance it can be done Of course,we’ll need something to air So, Katniss, the studio awaits your pleasure.» Plutarch turns to hisassistant «Fulvia?»

«Plutarch and I have been talking about how on earth we can pull this off We think that it might

be best to build you, our rebel leader, from the outside…in That is to say, let’s find the most stunningMockingjay look possible, and then work your personality up to deserving it!» she says brightly

«You already have her uniform,» says Gale

«Yes, but is she scarred and bloody? Is she glowing with the fire of rebellion? Just how grimycan we make her without disgusting people? At any rate, she has to be something I mean, obviouslythis»—Fulvia moves in on me quickly, framing my face with her hands—«won’t cut it.» I jerk myhead back reflexively but she’s already busy gathering her things «So, with that in mind, we haveanother little surprise for you Come, come.»

Fulvia gives us a wave, and Gale and I follow her and Plutarch out into the hall

«So well intended, and yet so insulting,» Gale whispers in my ear

«Welcome to the Capitol,» I mouth back But Fulvia’s words have no effect on me I wrap myarms tightly around the sketchbook and allow myself to feel hopeful This must be the right decision

If Cinna wanted it

We board an elevator, and Plutarch checks his notes «Let’s see It’s Compartment Oh-Eight.» He presses a button marked 39 , but nothing happens

Three-Nine-«You must have to key it,» says Fulvia

Plutarch pulls a key attached to a thin chain from under his shirt and inserts it into a slot I hadn’tnoticed before The doors slide shut «Ah, there we are.»

The elevator descends ten, twenty, thirty-plus levels, farther down than I even knew District 13went It opens on a wide white corridor lined with red doors, which look almost decorativecompared to the gray ones on the upper floors Each is plainly marked with a number 3901, 3902,

3903 …

As we step out, I glance behind me to watch the elevator close and see a metallic grate slide intoplace over the regular doors When I turn, a guard has materialized from one of the rooms at the farend of the corridor A door swings silently shut behind him as he strides toward us

Plutarch moves to meet him, raising a hand in greeting, and the rest of us follow behind him.Something feels very wrong down here It’s more than the reinforced elevator, or the claustrophobia

of being so far underground, or the caustic smell of antiseptic One look at Gale’s face and I can tell

he senses it as well

«Good morning, we were just looking for—» Plutarch begins

«You have the wrong floor,» says the guard abruptly

«Really?» Plutarch double-checks his notes «I’ve got Three-Nine-Oh-Eight written right here Iwonder if you could just give a call up to—»

«I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave now Assignment discrepancies can be addressed at theHead Office,» says the guard

It’s right ahead of us Compartment 3908 Just a few steps away The door—in fact, all the doors

—seem incomplete No knobs They must swing free on hinges like the one the guard appearedthrough.

«Where is that again?» asks Fulvia

«You’ll find the Head Office on Level Seven,» says the guard, extending his arms to corral usback to the elevator

From behind door 3908 comes a sound Just a tiny whimper Like something a cowed dog mightmake to avoid being struck, only all too human and familiar My eyes meet Gale’s for just a moment,but it’s long enough for two people who operate the way we do I let Cinna’s sketchbook fall at theguard’s feet with a loud bang A second after he leans down to retrieve it, Gale leans down, too,intentionally bumping heads «Oh, I’m sorry,» he says with a light laugh, catching the guard’s arms as

if to steady himself, turning him slightly away from me

That’s my chance I dart around the distracted guard, push open the door marked 3908 , and findthem Half-naked, bruised, and shackled to the wall

My prep team

4

The stink of unwashed bodies, stale urine, and infection breaks through the cloud of antiseptic.The three figures are only just recognizable by their most striking fashion choices: Venia’s gold facialtattoos

Flavius’s orange corkscrew curls Octavia’s light evergreen skin, which now hangs too loosely,

as if her body were a slowly deflating balloon

On seeing me, Flavius and Octavia shrink back against the tiled walls like they’re anticipating anattack, even though I have never hurt them Unkind thoughts were my worst offense against them, andthose I kept to myself, so why do they recoil?

The guard’s ordering me out, but by the shuffling that follows, I know Gale has somehowdetained him For answers, I cross to Venia, who was always the strongest I crouch down and takeher icy hands, which clutch mine like vises

«What happened, Venia?» I ask «What are you doing here?»

«They took us From the Capitol,» she says hoarsely

Plutarch enters behind me «What on earth is going on?»

«Who took you?» I press her

«People,» she says vaguely «The night you broke out.»

«We thought it might be comforting for you to have your regular team,» Plutarch says behind me

«Cinna requested it.»

«Cinna requestedthis ?» I snarl at him Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that Cinna wouldnever have approved the abuse of these three, who he managed with gentleness and patience «Whyare they being treated like criminals?»

«I honestly don’t know.» There’s something in his voice that makes me believe him, and thepallor on Fulvia’s face confirms it Plutarch turns to the guard, who’s just appeared in the doorwaywith Gale right behind him «I was only told they were being confined Why are they beingpunished?»

«For stealing food We had to restrain them after an altercation over some bread,» says theguard

Venia’s brows come together as if she’s still trying to make sense of it «No one would tell usanything We were so hungry It was just one slice she took.»

Octavia begins to sob, muffling the sound in her ragged tunic I think of how, the first time Isurvived the arena, Octavia sneaked me a roll under the table because she couldn’t bear my hunger Icrawl across to her shaking form «Octavia?» I touch her and she flinches «Octavia? It’s going to beall right I’ll get you out of here, okay?»

«This seems extreme,» says Plutarch

«It’s because they took a slice of bread?» asks Gale

«There were repeated infractions leading up to that They were warned Still they took morebread.» The guard pauses a moment, as if puzzled by our density «You can’t take bread.»

I can’t get Octavia to uncover her face, but she lifts it slightly The shackles on her wrists shiftdown a few inches, revealing raw sores beneath them «I’m bringing you to my mother.» I address theguard «Unchain them.»

The guard shakes his head «It’s not authorized.»

«Unchain them! Now!» I yell

This breaks his composure Average citizens don’t address him this way «I have no releaseorders And you have no authority to—»

«Do it on my authority,» says Plutarch «We came to collect these three anyway They’re neededfor Special Defense I’ll take full responsibility.»

The guard leaves to make a call He returns with a set of keys The preps have been forced intocramped body positions for so long that even once the shackles are removed, they have troublewalking Gale, Plutarch, and I have to help them Flavius’s foot catches on a metal grate over acircular opening in the floor, and my stomach contracts when I think of why a room would need adrain The stains of human misery that must have been hosed off these white tiles…

In the hospital, I find my mother, the only one I trust to care for them It takes her a minute toplace the three, given their current condition, but already she wears a look of consternation And Iknow it’s not a result of seeing abused bodies, because they were her daily fare in District 12, but therealization that this sort of thing goes on in 13 as well

My mother was welcomed into the hospital, but she’s viewed as more of a nurse than a doctor,despite her lifetime of healing Still, no one interferes when she guides the trio into an examinationroom to assess their injuries I plant myself on a bench in the hall outside the hospital entrance,waiting to hear her verdict She will be able to read in their bodies the pain inflicted upon them

Gale sits next to me and puts an arm around my shoulder «She’ll fix them up.» I give a nod,wondering if he’s thinking about his own brutal flogging back in 12

Plutarch and Fulvia take the bench across from us but don’t offer any comments on the state of

my prep team If they had no knowledge of the mistreatment, then what do they make of this move onPresident Coin’s part? I decide to help them out

«I guess we’ve all been put on notice,» I say

«What? No What do you mean?» asks Fulvia

«Punishing my prep team’s a warning,» I tell her «Not just to me But to you, too About who’sreally in control and what happens if she’s not obeyed If you had any delusions about having power,I’d let them go now Apparently, a Capitol pedigree is no protection here Maybe it’s even aliability.»

«There is no comparison between Plutarch, who masterminded the rebel breakout, and thosethree beauticians,» says Fulvia icily

I shrug «If you say so, Fulvia But what would happen if you got on Coin’s bad side? My prepteam was kidnapped They can at least hope to one day return to the Capitol Gale and I can live in thewoods But you? Where would you two run?»

«Perhaps we’re a little more necessary to the war effort than you give us credit for,» saysPlutarch, unconcerned

«Of course you are The tributes were necessary to the Games, too Until they weren’t,» I say

«And then we were very disposable—right, Plutarch?»

That ends the conversation We wait in silence until my mother finds us «They’ll be all right,»she reports «No permanent physical injuries.»

«Good Splendid,» says Plutarch «How soon can they be put to work?»

«Probably tomorrow,» she answers «You’ll have to expect some emotional instability, afterwhat they’ve been through They were particularly ill prepared, coming from their life in theCapitol.»

«Weren’t we all?» says Plutarch

Either because the prep team’s incapacitated or I’m too on edge, Plutarch releases me from

Mockingjay duties for the rest of the day Gale and I head down to lunch, where we’re served beanand onion stew, a thick slice of bread, and a cup of water After Venia’s story, the bread sticks in mythroat, so I slide the rest of it onto Gale’s tray Neither of us speaks much during lunch, but when ourbowls are clean, Gale pulls up his sleeve, revealing his schedule «I’ve got training next.»

I tug up my sleeve and hold my arm next to his «Me, too.» I remember that training equalshunting now

My eagerness to escape into the woods, if only for two hours, overrides my current concerns Animmersion into greenery and sunlight will surely help me sort out my thoughts Once off the maincorridors, Gale and I race like schoolchildren for the armory, and by the time we arrive, I’mbreathless and dizzy A reminder that I’m not fully recovered The guards provide our old weapons,

as well as knives and a burlap sack that’s meant for a game bag I tolerate having the tracker clamped

to my ankle, try to look as if I’m listening when they explain how to use the handheld communicator.The only thing that sticks in my head is that it has a clock, and we must be back inside 13 by thedesignated hour or our hunting privileges will be revoked This is one rule I think I will make aneffort to abide

We go outside into the large, fenced-in training area beside the woods Guards open the oiled gates without comment We would be hard-pressed to get past this fence on our own—thirty feethigh and always buzzing with electricity, topped with razor-sharp curls of steel We move through thewoods until the view of the fence has been obscured In a small clearing, we pause and drop back ourheads to bask in the sunlight I turn in a circle, my arms extended at my sides, revolving slowly so asnot to set the world spinning

well-The lack of rain I saw in 12 has damaged the plants here as well, leaving some with brittleleaves, building a crunchy carpet under our feet We take off our shoes Mine don’t fit right anyway,since in the spirit of waste-not-want-not that rules 13, I was issued a pair someone had outgrown.Apparently, one of us walks funny, because they’re broken in all wrong

We hunt, like in the old days Silent, needing no words to communicate, because here in thewoods we move as two parts of one being Anticipating each other’s movements, watching eachother’s backs How long has it been? Eight months? Nine? Since we had this freedom? It’s not exactlythe same, given all that’s happened and the trackers on our ankles and the fact that I have to rest sooften But it’s about as close to happiness as I think I can currently get

The animals here are not nearly suspicious enough That extra moment it takes to place ourunfamiliar scent means their death In an hour and a half, we’ve got a mixed dozen—rabbits,squirrels, and turkeys—and decide to knock off to spend the remaining time by a pond that must befed by an underground spring, since the water’s cool and sweet

When Gale offers to clean the game, I don’t object I stick a few mint leaves on my tongue, close

my eyes, and lean back against a rock, soaking in the sounds, letting the scorching afternoon sun burn

my skin, almost at peace until Gale’s voice interrupts me «Katniss, why do you care so much aboutyour prep team?»

I open my eyes to see if he’s joking, but he’s frowning down at the rabbit he’s skinning «Whyshouldn’t I?»

«Hm Let’s see Because they’ve spent the last year prettying you up for slaughter?» he suggests

«It’s more complicated than that I know them They’re not evil or cruel They’re not even smart.Hurting them, it’s like hurting children They don’t see…I mean, they don’t know…» I get knotted up

in my words

«They don’t know what, Katniss?» he says «That tributes—who are the actual children

involved here, not your trio of freaks—are forced to fight to the death? That you were going into thatarena for people’s amusement? Was that a big secret in the Capitol?»

«No But they don’t view it the way we do,» I say «They’re raised on it and—»

«Are you actually defending them?» He slips the skin from the rabbit in one quick move

That stings, because, in fact, I am, and it’s ridiculous I struggle to find a logical position «Iguess I’m defending anyone who’s treated like that for taking a slice of bread Maybe it reminds metoo much of what happened to you over a turkey!»

Still, he’s right It does seem strange, my level of concern over the prep team I should hate themand want to see them strung up But they’re so clueless, and they belonged to Cinna, and he was on myside, right?

«I’m not looking for a fight,» Gale says «But I don’t think Coin was sending you some bigmessage by punishing them for breaking the rules here She probably thought you’d see it as a favor.»

He stuffs the rabbit in the sack and rises «We better get going if we want to make it back on time.»

I ignore his offer of a hand up and get to my feet unsteadily «Fine.» Neither of us talks on theway back, but once we’re inside the gate, I think of something else «During the Quarter Quell,Octavia and Flavius had to quit because they couldn’t stop crying over me going back in And Veniacould barely say good-bye.»

«I’ll try and keep that in mind as they…remake you,» says Gale

«Do,» I say

We hand the meat over to Greasy Sae in the kitchen She likes District 13 well enough, eventhough she thinks the cooks are somewhat lacking in imagination But a woman who came up with apalatable wild dog and rhubarb stew is bound to feel as if her hands are tied here

Exhausted from hunting and my lack of sleep, I go back to my compartment to find it strippedbare, only to remember we’ve been moved because of Buttercup I make my way up to the top floorand find Compartment E It looks exactly like Compartment 307, except for the window—two feetwide, eight inches high—centered at the top of the outside wall There’s a heavy metal plate thatfastens over it, but right now it’s propped open, and a certain cat is nowhere to be seen I stretch out

on my bed, and a shaft of afternoon sunlight plays on my face The next thing I know, my sister iswaking me for 18:00—Reflection

Prim tells me they’ve been announcing the assembly since lunch The entire population, exceptthose needed for essential jobs, is required to attend We follow directions to the Collective, a hugeroom that easily holds the thousands who show up You can tell it was built for a larger gathering, andperhaps it held one before the pox epidemic Prim quietly points out the widespread fallout from thatdisaster—the pox scars on people’s bodies, the slightly disfigured children «They’ve suffered a lothere,» she says

After this morning, I’m in no mood to feel sorry for 13 «No more than we did in Twelve,» I say

I see my mother lead in a group of mobile patients, still wearing their hospital nightgowns and robes.Finnick stands among them, looking dazed but gorgeous In his hands he holds a piece of thin rope,less than a foot in length, too short for even him to fashion into a usable noose His fingers moverapidly, automatically tying and unraveling various knots as he gazes about Probably part of histherapy I cross to him and say, «Hey, Finnick.» He doesn’t seem to notice, so I nudge him to get hisattention «Finnick! How are you doing?»

«Katniss,» he says, gripping my hand Relieved to see a familiar face, I think «Why are wemeeting here?»

«I told Coin I’d be her Mockingjay But I made her promise to give the other tributes immunity if

the rebels won,» I tell him «In public, so there are plenty of witnesses.»

«Oh Good Because I worry about that with Annie That she’ll say something that could beconstrued as traitorous without knowing it,» says Finnick

Annie Uh-oh Totally forgot her «Don’t worry, I took care of it.» I give Finnick’s hand asqueeze and head straight for the podium at the front of the room Coin, who is glancing over herstatement, raises her eyebrows at me «I need you to add Annie Cresta to the immunity list,» I tell her

The president frowns slightly «Who’s that?»

«She’s Finnick Odair’s—» What? I don’t really know what to call her «She’s Finnick’s friend.From District Four Another victor She was arrested and taken to the Capitol when the arena blewup.»

«Oh, the mad girl That’s not really necessary,» she says «We don’t make a habit of punishinganyone that frail.»

I think of the scene I walked in on this morning Of Octavia huddled against the wall Of howCoin and I must have vastly different definitions of frailty But I only say, «No? Then it shouldn’t be aproblem to add Annie.»

«All right,» says the president, penciling in Annie’s name «Do you want to be up here with mefor the announcement?» I shake my head «I didn’t think so Better hurry and lose yourself in thecrowd I’m about to begin.» I make my way back to Finnick

Words are another thing not wasted in 13 Coin calls the audience to attention and tells them Ihave consented to be the Mockingjay, provided the other victors—Peeta, Johanna, Enobaria, andAnnie—will be granted full pardon for any damage they do to the rebel cause In the rumbling of thecrowd, I hear the dissent I suppose no one doubted I would want to be the Mockingjay So naming aprice—one that spares possible enemies—angers them I stand indifferent to the hostile looks thrown

my way

The president allows a few moments of unrest, and then continues in her brisk fashion Only nowthe words coming out of her mouth are news to me «But in return for this unprecedented request,Soldier Everdeen has promised to devote herself to our cause It follows that any deviance from hermission, in either motive or deed, will be viewed as a break in this agreement The immunity would

be terminated and the fate of the four victors determined by the law of District Thirteen As would herown Thank you.»

In other words, I step out of line and we’re all dead

5

Another force to contend with Another power player who has decided to use me as a piece inher games, although things never seem to go according to plan First there were the Gamemakers,making me their star and then scrambling to recover from that handful of poisonous berries ThenPresident Snow, trying to use me to put out the flames of rebellion, only to have my every movebecome inflammatory Next, the rebels ensnaring me in the metal claw that lifted me from the arena,designating me to be their Mockingjay, and then having to recover from the shock that I might not wantthe wings And now Coin, with her fistful of precious nukes and her well-oiled machine of a district,finding it’s even harder to groom a Mockingjay than to catch one But she has been the quickest todetermine that I have an agenda of my own and am therefore not to be trusted She has been the first topublicly brand me as a threat

I run my fingers through the thick layer of bubbles in my tub Cleaning me up is just a preliminarystep to determining my new look With my acid-damaged hair, sunburned skin, and ugly scars, theprep team has to make me pretty andthen damage, burn, and scar me in a more attractive way

«Remake her to Beauty Base Zero,» Fulvia ordered first thing this morning «We’ll work fromthere.» Beauty Base Zero turns out to be what a person would look like if they stepped out of bedlooking flawless but natural It means my nails are perfectly shaped but not polished My hair soft andshiny but not styled My skin smooth and clear but not painted Wax the body hair and erase the darkcircles, but don’t make any noticeable enhancements I suppose Cinna gave the same instructions thefirst day I arrived as a tribute in the Capitol Only that was different, since I was a contestant As arebel, I thought I’d get to look more like myself But it seems a televised rebel has her own standards

to live up to

After I rinse the lather from my body, I turn to find Octavia waiting with a towel She is soaltered from the woman I knew in the Capitol, stripped of the gaudy clothing, the heavy makeup, thedyes and jewelry and knickknacks she adorned her hair with I remember how one day she showed upwith bright pink tresses studded with blinking colored lights shaped like mice She told me she hadseveral mice at home as pets The thought repulsed me at the time, since we consider mice vermin,unless cooked But perhaps Octavia liked them because they were small, soft, and squeaky Like her

As she pats me dry, I try to become acquainted with the District 13 Octavia Her real hair turns out to

be a nice auburn Her face is ordinary but has an undeniable sweetness She’s younger than I thought.Maybe early twenties Devoid of the three-inch decorative nails, her fingers appear almost stubby,and they can’t stop trembling I want to tell her it’s okay, that I’ll see that Coin never hurts her again.But the multicolored bruises flowering under her green skin only remind me how impotent I am

Flavius, too, appears washed out without his purple lipstick and bright clothes He’s managed toget his orange ringlets back in some sort of order, though It’s Venia who’s the least changed Heraqua hair lies flat instead of in spikes and you can see the roots growing in gray However, the tattooswere always her most striking characteristic, and they’re as golden and shocking as ever She comesand takes the towel from Octavia’s hands

«Katniss is not going to hurt us,» she says quietly but firmly to Octavia «Katniss did not evenknow we were here Things will be better now.» Octavia gives a slight nod but doesn’t dare look me

in the eye

It’s no simple job getting me back to Beauty Base Zero, even with the elaborate arsenal ofproducts, tools, and gadgets Plutarch had the foresight to bring from the Capitol My preps do pretty

well until they try to address the spot on my arm where Johanna dug out the tracker None of themedical team was focusing on looks when they patched up the gaping hole Now I have a lumpy,jagged scar that ripples out over a space the size of an apple Usually, my sleeve covers it, but theway Cinna’s Mockingjay costume is designed, the sleeves stop just above the elbow It’s such aconcern that Fulvia and Plutarch are called in to discuss it I swear, the sight of it triggers Fulvia’sgag reflex For someone who works with a Gamemaker, she’s awfully sensitive But I guess she’sused to seeing unpleasant things only on a screen.

«Everyone knows I have a scar here,» I say sullenly

«Knowing it and seeing it are two different things,» says Fulvia «It’s positively repulsive.Plutarch and I will think of something during lunch.»

«It’ll be fine,» says Plutarch with a dismissive wave of his hand «Maybe an armband orsomething.»

Disgusted, I get dressed so I can head to the dining hall My prep team huddles in a little group

by the door «Are they bringing your food here?» I ask

«No,» says Venia «We’re supposed to go to a dining hall.»

I sigh inwardly as I imagine walking into the dining hall, trailed by these three But peoplealways stare at me anyway This will be more of the same «I’ll show you where it is,» I say «Comeon.»

The covert glances and quiet murmurs I usually evoke are nothing compared to the reactionbrought on by the sight of my bizarre-looking prep team The gaping mouths, the finger pointing, theexclamations «Just ignore them,» I tell my prep team Eyes downcast, with mechanical movements,they follow me through the line, accepting bowls of grayish fish and okra stew and cups of water

We take seats at my table, beside a group from the Seam They show a little more restraint thanthe people from 13 do, although it may just be from embarrassment Leevy, who was my neighborback in 12, gives a cautious hello to the preps, and Gale’s mother, Hazelle, who must know abouttheir imprisonment, holds up a spoonful of the stew «Don’t worry,» she says «Tastes better than itlooks.»

But it’s Posy, Gale’s five-year-old sister, who helps the most She scoots along the bench toOctavia and touches her skin with a tentative finger «You’re green Are you sick?»

«It’s a fashion thing, Posy Like wearing lipstick,» I say

«It’s meant to be pretty,» whispers Octavia, and I can see the tears threatening to spill over herlashes

Posy considers this and says matter-of-factly, «I think you’d be pretty in any color.»

The tiniest of smiles forms on Octavia’s lips «Thank you.»

«If you really want to impress Posy, you’ll have to dye yourself bright pink,» says Gale,thumping his tray down beside me «That’s her favorite color.» Posy giggles and slides back down toher mother Gale nods at Flavius’s bowl «I wouldn’t let that get cold It doesn’t improve theconsistency.»

Everyone gets down to eating The stew doesn’t taste bad, but there’s a certain sliminess that’shard to get around Like you have to swallow every bite three times before it really goes down

Gale, who’s not usually much of a talker during meals, makes an effort to keep the conversationgoing, asking about the makeover I know it’s his attempt at smoothing things over We argued lastnight after he suggested I’d left Coin no choice but to counter my demand for the victors’ safety withone of her own «Katniss, she’s running this district She can’t do it if it seems like she’s caving in toyour will.»

«You mean she can’t stand any dissent, even if it’s fair,» I’d countered.

«I mean you put her in a bad position Making her give Peeta and the others immunity when wedon’t even know what sort of damage they might cause,» Gale had said

«So I should’ve just gone with the program and let the other tributes take their chances? Not that

it matters, because that’s what we’re all doing anyway!» That was when I’d slammed the door in hisface I hadn’t sat with him at breakfast, and when Plutarch had sent him down to training this morning,I’d let him go without a word I know he only spoke out of concern for me, but I really need him to be

on my side, not Coin’s How can he not know that?

After lunch, Gale and I are scheduled to go down to Special Defense to meet Beetee As we ridethe elevator, Gale finally says, «You’re still angry.»

«And you’re still not sorry,» I reply

«I still stand by what I said Do you want me to lie about it?» he asks

«No, I want you to rethink it and come up with the right opinion,» I tell him But this just makeshim laugh I have to let it go There’s no point in trying to dictate what Gale thinks Which, if I’mhonest, is one reason I trust him

The Special Defense level is situated almost as far down as the dungeons where we found theprep team It’s a beehive of rooms full of computers, labs, research equipment, and testing ranges

When we ask for Beetee, we’re directed through the maze until we reach an enormous glass window Inside is the first beautiful thing I’ve seen in the District 13 compound: a replication of

plate-a meplate-adow, filled with replate-al trees plate-and flowering plplate-ants, plate-and plate-alive with hummingbirds Beetee sitsmotionless in a wheelchair at the center of the meadow, watching a spring-green bird hover in midair

as it sips nectar from a large orange blossom His eyes follow the bird as it darts away, and hecatches sight of us He gives a friendly wave for us to join him inside

The air’s cool and breathable, not humid and muggy as I’d expected From all sides comes thewhir of tiny wings, which I used to confuse with the sound of insects in our woods at home I have towonder what sort of fluke allowed such a pleasing place to be built here

Beetee still has the pallor of someone in convalescence, but behind those ill-fitting glasses, hiseyes are alight with excitement «Aren’t they magnificent? Thirteen has been studying theiraerodynamics here for years Forward and backward flight, and speeds up to sixty miles per hour Ifonly I could build you wings like these, Katniss!»

«Doubt I could manage them, Beetee,» I laugh

«Here one second, gone the next Can you bring a hummingbird down with an arrow?» he asks

«I’ve never tried Not much meat on them,» I answer

«No And you’re not one to kill for sport,» he says «I bet they’d be hard to shoot, though.»

«You could snare them maybe,» Gale says His face takes on that distant look it wears when he’sworking something out «Take a net with a very fine mesh Enclose an area and leave a mouth of acouple square feet Bait the inside with nectar flowers While they’re feeding, snap the mouth shut.They’d fly away from the noise but only encounter the far side of the net.»

«Would that work?» asks Beetee

«I don’t know Just an idea,» says Gale «They might outsmart it.»

«They might But you’re playing on their natural instincts to flee danger Thinking like yourprey…that’s where you find their vulnerabilities,» says Beetee

I remember something I don’t like to think about In preparation for the Quell, I saw a tape whereBeetee, who was still a boy, connected two wires that electrocuted a pack of kids who were huntinghim The convulsing bodies, the grotesque expressions Beetee, in the moments that led up to his

victory in those long-ago Hunger Games, watched the others die Not his fault Only self-defense Wewere all acting only in self-defense….

Suddenly, I want to leave the hummingbird room before somebody starts setting up a snare

«Beetee, Plutarch said you had something for me.»

«Right I do Your new bow.» He presses a hand control on the arm of the chair and wheels out

of the room As we follow him through the twists and turns of Special Defense, he explains about thechair «I can walk a little now It’s just that I tire so quickly It’s easier for me to get around this way.How’s Finnick doing?»

«He’s…he’s having concentration problems,» I answer I don’t want to say he had a completemental meltdown

«Concentration problems, eh?» Beetee smiles grimly «If you knew what Finnick’s been throughthe last few years, you’d know how remarkable it is he’s still with us at all Tell him I’ve beenworking on a new trident for him, though, will you? Something to distract him a little.» Distractionseems to be the last thing Finnick needs, but I promise to pass on the message

Four soldiers guard the entrance to the hall marked Special Weaponry Checking the schedulesprinted on our forearms is just a preliminary step We also have fingerprint, retinal, and DNA scans,and have to step through special metal detectors Beetee has to leave his wheelchair outside, althoughthey provide him with another once we’re through security I find the whole thing bizarre because Ican’t imagine anyone raised in District 13 being a threat the government would have to guard against.Have these precautions been put in place because of the recent influx of immigrants?

At the door of the armory, we encounter a second round of identification checks—as if my DNAmight have changed in the time it took to walk twenty yards down the hallway—and are finallyallowed to enter the weapons collection I have to admit the arsenal takes my breath away Row uponrow of firearms, launchers, explosives, armored vehicles «Of course, the Airborne Division ishoused separately,» Beetee tells us

«Of course,» I say, as if this would be self-evident I don’t know where a simple bow and arrowcould possibly find a place in all this high-tech equipment, but then we come upon a wall of deadlyarchery weapons I’ve played with a lot of the Capitol’s weapons in training, but none designed formilitary combat I focus my attention on a lethal-looking bow so loaded down with scopes andgadgetry, I’m certain I can’t even lift it, let alone shoot it

«Gale, maybe you’d like to try out a few of these,» says Beetee

«Seriously?» Gale asks

«You’ll be issued a gun eventually for battle, of course But if you appear as part of Katniss’steam in the propos, one of these would look a little showier I thought you might like to find one thatsuits you,» says Beetee

«Yeah, I would.» Gale’s hands close around the very bow that caught my attention a momentago, and he hefts it onto his shoulder He points it around the room, peering through the scope

«That doesn’t seem very fair to the deer,» I say

«Wouldn’t be using it on deer, would I?» he answers

«I’ll be right back,» says Beetee He presses a code into a panel, and a small doorway opens Iwatch until he’s disappeared and the door’s shut

«So, it’d be easy for you? Using that on people?» I ask

«I didn’t say that.» Gale drops the bow to his side «But if I’d had a weapon that could’vestopped what I saw happen in Twelve…if I’d had a weapon that could have kept you out of thearena…I’d have used it.»

«Me, too,» I admit But I don’t know what to tell him about the aftermath of killing a person.About how they never leave you.

Beetee wheels back in with a tall, black rectangular case awkwardly positioned between hisfootrest and his shoulder He comes to a halt and tilts it toward me «For you.»

I set the case flat on the floor and undo the latches along one side The top opens on silenthinges Inside the case, on a bed of crushed maroon velvet, lies a stunning black bow «Oh,» Iwhisper in admiration I lift it carefully into the air to admire the exquisite balance, the elegantdesign, and the curve of the limbs that somehow suggests the wings of a bird extended in flight.There’s something else I have to hold very still to make sure I’m not imagining it No, the bow isalive in my hands I press it against my cheek and feel the slight hum travel through the bones of myface «What’s it doing?» I ask

«Saying hello,» explains Beetee with a grin «It heard your voice.»

«It recognizes my voice?» I ask

«Onlyyour voice,» he tells me «You see, they wanted me to design a bow based purely onlooks As part of your costume, you know? But I kept thinking,What a waste I mean, what if you doneed it sometime? As more than a fashion accessory? So I left the outside simple, and left the inside

to my imagination Best explained in practice, though Want to try those out?»

We do A target range has already been prepared for us The arrows that Beetee designed are noless remarkable than the bow Between the two, I can shoot with accuracy over one hundred yards.The variety of arrows—razor sharp, incendiary, explosive—turn the bow into a multipurposeweapon Each one is recognizable by a distinctive colored shaft I have the option of voice override

at any time, but have no idea why I would use it To deactivate the bow’s special properties, I needonly tell it «Good night.» Then it goes to sleep until the sound of my voice wakes it again

I’m in good spirits by the time I get back to the prep team, leaving Beetee and Gale behind I sitpatiently through the rest of the paint job and don my costume, which now includes a bloody bandageover the scar on my arm to indicate I’ve been in recent combat Venia affixes my mockingjay pin over

my heart I take up my bow and the sheath of normal arrows that Beetee made, knowing they wouldnever let me walk around with the loaded ones Then we’re out on the soundstage, where I seem tostand for hours while they adjust makeup and lighting and smoke levels Eventually, the commandscoming via intercom from the invisible people in the mysterious glassed-in booth become fewer andfewer Fulvia and Plutarch spend more time studying and less time adjusting me Finally, there’s quiet

on the set For a full five minutes I am simply considered Then Plutarch says, «I think that does it.»I’m beckoned over to a monitor They play back the last few minutes of taping and I watch thewoman on the screen Her body seems larger in stature, more imposing than mine Her face smudgedbut sexy Her brows black and drawn in an angle of defiance Wisps of smoke—suggesting she haseither just been extinguished or is about to burst into flames—rise from her clothes I do not knowwho this person is

Finnick, who’s been wandering around the set for a few hours, comes up behind me and sayswith a hint of his old humor, «They’ll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.»

Everyone’s so excited, so pleased with their work It’s nearly time to break for dinner, but theyinsist we continue Tomorrow we’ll focus on speeches and interviews and have me pretend to be inrebel battles Today they want just one slogan, just one line that they can work into a short propo toshow to Coin

«People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!» That’s the line I can tell

by the way they present it that they’ve spent months, maybe years, working it out and are really proud

of it It seems like a mouthful to me, though And stiff I can’t imagine actually saying it in real life—unless I was using a Capitol accent and making fun of it Like when Gale and I used to imitate EffieTrinket’s «May the odds beever in your favor!» But Fulvia’s right in my face, describing a battle I’vejust been in, and how my comrades-in-arms are all lying dead around me, and how, to rally the living,

I must turn to the camera and shout out the line!

I’m hustled back to my place, and the smoke machine kicks in Someone calls for quiet, thecameras start rolling, and I hear «Action!» So I hold my bow over my head and yell with all the anger

I can muster, «People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice!»

There’s dead silence on the set It goes on And on

Finally, the intercom crackles and Haymitch’s acerbic laugh fills the studio He contains himselfjust long enough to say, «And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies.»

6

The shock of hearing Haymitch’s voice yesterday, of learning that he was not only functional buthad some measure of control over my life again, enraged me I left the studio directly and refused toacknowledge his comments from the booth today Even so, I knew immediately he was right about myperformance

It took the whole of this morning for him to convince the others of my limitations That I can’tpull it off I can’t stand in a television studio wearing a costume and makeup in a cloud of fake smokeand rally the districts to victory It’s amazing, really, how long I have survived the cameras Thecredit for that, of course, goes to Peeta Alone, I can’t be the Mockingjay

We gather around the huge table in Command Coin and her people Plutarch, Fulvia, and myprep team A group from 12 that includes Haymitch and Gale, but also a few others I can’t explain,like Leevy and Greasy Sae At the last minute, Finnick wheels Beetee in, accompanied by Dalton, thecattle expert from 10 I suppose that Coin has assembled this strange assortment of people aswitnesses to my failure

However, it’s Haymitch who welcomes everyone, and by his words I understand that they havecome at his personal invitation This is the first time we’ve been in a room together since I clawedhim I avoid looking at him directly, but I catch a glimpse of his reflection in one of the shiny controlconsoles along the wall He looks slightly yellow and has lost a lot of weight, giving him a shrunkenappearance For a second, I’m afraid he’s dying I have to remind myself that I don’t care

The first thing Haymitch does is to show the footage we’ve just shot I seem to have reachedsome new low under Plutarch and Fulvia’s guidance Both my voice and body have a jerky,disjointed quality, like a puppet being manipulated by unseen forces

«All right,» Haymitch says when it’s over «Would anyone like to argue that this is of use to us

in winning the war?» No one does «That saves time So, let’s all be quiet for a minute I wanteveryone to think of one incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you Not where you werejealous of her hairstyle, or her dress went up in flames or she made a halfway decent shot with anarrow Not where Peeta was making you like her I want to hear one moment whereshe made you feelsomething real.»

Quiet stretches out and I’m beginning to think it will never end, when Leevy speaks up «Whenshe volunteered to take Prim’s place at the reaping Because I’m sure she thought she was going todie.»

«Good Excellent example,» says Haymitch He takes a purple marker and writes on a notepad

«Volunteered for sister at reaping.» Haymitch looks around the table «Somebody else.»

I’m surprised that the next speaker is Boggs, who I think of as a muscular robot that does Coin’sbidding «When she sang the song While the little girl died.» Somewhere in my head an imagesurfaces of Boggs with a young boy perched up on his hip In the dining hall, I think Maybe he’s not arobot after all

«Who didn’t get choked up at that, right?» says Haymitch, writing it down

«I cried when she drugged Peeta so she could go get him medicine and when she kissed himgood-bye!» blurts out Octavia Then she covers her mouth, like she’s sure this was a bad mistake

But Haymitch only nods «Oh, yeah Drugs Peeta to save his life Very nice.»

The moments begin to come thick and fast and in no particular order When I took Rue on as anally.Extended my hand to Chaff on interview night Tried to carry Mags And again and again when I

held out those berries that meant different things to different people Love for Peeta Refusal to give inunder impossible odds Defiance of the Capitol’s inhumanity.

Haymitch holds up the notepad «So, the question is, what do all of these have in common?»

«They were Katniss’s,» says Gale quietly «No one told her what to do or say.»

«Unscripted, yes!» says Beetee He reaches over and pats my hand «So we should just leaveyou alone, right?»

People laugh I even smile a little

«Well, that’s all very nice but not very helpful,» says Fulvia peevishly «Unfortunately, heropportunities for being wonderful are rather limited here in Thirteen So unless you’re suggesting wetoss her into the middle of combat—»

«That’sexactly what I’m suggesting,» says Haymitch «Put her out in the field and just keep thecameras rolling.»

«But people think she’s pregnant,» Gale points out

«We’ll spread the word that she lost the baby from the electrical shock in the arena,» Plutarchreplies «Very sad Very unfortunate.»

The idea of sending me into combat is controversial But Haymitch has a pretty tight case If Iperform well only in real-life circumstances, then into them I should go «Every time we coach her orgive her lines, the best we can hope for is okay It has to come from her That’s what people areresponding to.»

«Even if we’re careful, we can’t guarantee her safety,» says Boggs «She’ll be a target for every

—»

«I want to go,» I break in «I’m no help to the rebels here.»

«And if you’re killed?» asks Coin

«Make sure you get some footage You can use that, anyway,» I answer

«Fine,» says Coin «But let’s take it one step at a time Find the least dangerous situation that canevoke some spontaneity in you.» She walks around Command, studying the illuminated district mapsthat show the ongoing troop positions in the war «Take her into Eight this afternoon There washeavy bombing this morning, but the raid seems to have run its course I want her armed with a squad

of bodyguards Camera crew on the ground Haymitch, you’ll be airborne and in contact with her.Let’s see what happens there Does anyone have any other comments?»

«Wash her face,» says Dalton Everyone turns to him «She’s still a girl and you made her lookthirty-five Feels wrong Like something the Capitol would do.»

As Coin adjourns the meeting, Haymitch asks her if he can speak to me privately The othersleave except for Gale, who lingers uncertainly by my side «What are you worried about?» Haymitchasks him «I’m the one who needs the bodyguard.»

«It’s okay,» I tell Gale, and he goes Then there’s just the hum of the instruments, the purr of theventilation system

Haymitch takes the seat across from me «We’re going to have to work together again So, goahead Just say it.»

I think of the snarling, cruel exchange back on the hovercraft The bitterness that followed Butall I say is «I can’t believe you didn’t rescue Peeta.»

«I know,» he replies

There’s a sense of incompleteness And not because he hasn’t apologized But because we were

a team We had a deal to keep Peeta safe A drunken, unrealistic deal made in the dark of night, but adeal just the same And in my heart of hearts, I know we both failed

«Now you say it,» I tell him.

«I can’t believe you let him out of your sight that night,» says Haymitch

I nod That’s it «I play it over and over in my head What I could have done to keep him by myside without breaking the alliance But nothing comes to me.»

«You didn’t have a choice And even if I could’ve made Plutarch stay and rescue him that night,the whole hovercraft would’ve gone down We barely got out as it was.» I finally meet Haymitch’seyes Seam eyes Gray and deep and ringed with the circles of sleepless nights «He’s not dead yet,Katniss.»

«We’re still in the game.» I try to say this with optimism, but my voice cracks

«Still in And I’m still your mentor.» Haymitch points his marker at me «When you’re on theground, remember I’m airborne I’ll have the better view, so do what I tell you.»

«We’ll see,» I answer

I return to the Remake Room and watch the streaks of makeup disappear down the drain as Iscrub my face clean The person in the mirror looks ragged, with her uneven skin and tired eyes, butshe looks like me I rip the armband off, revealing the ugly scar from the tracker There That lookslike me, too

Since I’ll be in a combat zone, Beetee helps me with armor Cinna designed A helmet of someinterwoven metal that fits close to my head The material’s supple, like fabric, and can be drawn backlike a hood in case I don’t want it up full-time A vest to reinforce the protection over my vitalorgans A small white earpiece that attaches to my collar by a wire Beetee secures a mask to my beltthat I don’t have to wear unless there’s a gas attack «If you see anyone dropping for reasons you can’texplain, put it on immediately,» he says Finally, he straps a sheath divided into three cylinders ofarrows to my back «Just remember: Right side, fire Left side, explosive Center, regular Youshouldn’t need them, but better safe than sorry.»

Boggs shows up to escort me down to the Airborne Division Just as the elevator arrives,Finnick appears in a state of agitation «Katniss, they won’t let me go! I told them I’m fine, but theywon’t even let me ride in the hovercraft!»

I take in Finnick—his bare legs showing between his hospital gown and slippers, his tangle ofhair, the half-knotted rope twisted around his fingers, the wild look in his eyes—and know any plea

on my part will be useless Even I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring him So I smack my hand on myforehead and say, «Oh, I forgot It’s this stupid concussion I was supposed to tell you to report toBeetee in Special Weaponry He’s designed a new trident for you.»

At the word trident, it’s as if the old Finnick surfaces «Really? What’s it do?»

«I don’t know But if it’s anything like my bow and arrows, you’re going to love it,» I say

«You’ll need to train with it, though.»

«Right Of course I guess I better get down there,» he says

«Finnick?» I say «Maybe some pants?»

He looks down at his legs as if noticing his outfit for the first time Then he whips off hishospital gown, leaving him in just his underwear «Why? Do you find this»—he strikes a ridiculouslyprovocative pose—«distracting?»

I can’t help laughing because it’s funny, and it’s extra funny because it makes Boggs look souncomfortable, and I’m happy because Finnick actually sounds like the guy I met at the Quarter Quell

«I’m only human, Odair.» I get in before the elevator doors close «Sorry,» I say to Boggs

«Don’t be I thought you…handled that well,» he says «Better than my having to arrest him,anyway.»

«Yeah,» I say I sneak a sidelong glance at him He’s probably in his mid-forties, with cropped gray hair and blue eyes Incredible posture He’s spoken out twice today in ways that make

close-me think he would rather be friends than enemies Maybe I should give him a chance But he justseems so in step with Coin…

There’s a series of loud clicks The elevator comes to a slight pause and then begins to movelaterally to the left «It goes sideways?» I ask

«Yes There’s a whole network of elevator paths under Thirteen,» he answers «This one liesjust above the transport spoke to the fifth airlift platform It’s taking us to the Hangar.»

The Hangar The dungeons Special Defense Somewhere food is grown Power generated Airand water purified «Thirteen is even larger than I thought.»

«Can’t take credit for much of it,» says Boggs «We basically inherited the place It’s been all

we can do to keep it running.»

The clicks resume We drop down again briefly—just a couple of levels—and the doors open onthe Hangar

«Oh,» I let out involuntarily at the sight of the fleet Row after row of different kinds ofhovercraft «Did you inherit these, too?»

«Some we manufactured Some were part of the Capitol’s air force They’ve been updated, ofcourse,» says Boggs

I feel that twinge of hatred against 13 again «So, you had all this, and you left the rest of thedistricts defenseless against the Capitol.»

«It’s not that simple,» he shoots back «We were in no position to launch a counterattack untilrecently We could barely stay alive After we’d overthrown and executed the Capitol’s people, only

a handful of us even knew how to pilot We could’ve nuked them with missiles, yes But there’salways the larger question: If we engage in that type of war with the Capitol, would there be anyhuman life left?»

«That sounds like what Peeta said And you all called him a traitor,» I counter

«Because he called for a cease-fire,» says Boggs «You’ll notice neither side has launchednuclear weapons We’re working it out the old-fashioned way Over here, Soldier Everdeen.» Heindicates one of the smaller hovercraft

I mount the stairs and find it packed with the television crew and equipment Everyone else isdressed in 13’s dark gray military jumpsuits, even Haymitch, although he seems unhappy about thesnugness of his collar

Fulvia Cardew hustles over and makes a sound of frustration when she sees my clean face «Allthat work, down the drain I’m not blaming you, Katniss It’s just that very few people are born withcamera-ready faces Like him.» She snags Gale, who’s in a conversation with Plutarch, and spins himtoward us «Isn’t he handsome?»

Gale does look striking in the uniform, I guess But the question just embarrasses us both, givenour history I’m trying to think of a witty comeback, when Boggs says brusquely, «Well, don’t expect

us to be too impressed We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear.» I decide to go ahead and likeBoggs

There’s a warning of the upcoming takeoff and I strap myself into a seat next to Gale, facing offwith Haymitch and Plutarch We glide through a maze of tunnels that opens out onto a platform Somesort of elevator device lifts the craft slowly up through the levels All at once we’re outside in a largefield surrounded by woods, then we rise off the platform and become wrapped in clouds

Now that the flurry of activity leading up to this mission is over, I realize I have no idea what

I’m facing on this trip to District 8 In fact, I know very little about the actual state of the war Or what

it would take to win it Or what would happen if we did

Plutarch tries to lay it out in simple terms for me First of all, every district is currently at warwith the Capitol except 2, which has always had a favored relationship with our enemies despite itsparticipation in the Hunger Games They get more food and better living conditions After the DarkDays and the supposed destruction of 13, District 2 became the Capitol’s new center of defense,although it’s publicly presented as the home of the nation’s stone quarries, in the same way that 13was known for graphite mining District 2 not only manufactures weaponry, it trains and evensupplies Peacekeepers

«You mean…some of the Peacekeepers are born in Two?» I ask «I thought they all came fromthe Capitol.»

Plutarch nods «That’s what you’re supposed to think And some do come from the Capitol Butits population could never sustain a force that size Then there’s the problem of recruiting Capitol-raised citizens for a dull life of deprivation in the districts A twenty-year commitment to thePeacekeepers, no marriage, no children allowed Some buy into it for the honor of the thing, otherstake it on as an alternative to punishment For instance, join the Peacekeepers and your debts areforgiven Many people are swamped in debt in the Capitol, but not all of them are fit for military duty

So District Two is where we turn for additional troops It’s a way for their people to escape povertyand a life in the quarries They’re raised with a warrior mind-set You’ve seen how eager theirchildren are to volunteer to be tributes.»

Cato and Clove Brutus and Enobaria I’ve seen their eagerness and their bloodlust, too «But allthe other districts are on our side?» I ask

«Yes Our goal is to take over the districts one by one, ending with District Two, thus cutting offthe Capitol’s supply chain Then, once it’s weakened, we invade the Capitol itself,» says Plutarch

«That will be a whole other type of challenge But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.»

«If we win, who would be in charge of the government?» Gale asks

«Everyone,» Plutarch tells him «We’re going to form a republic where the people of eachdistrict and the Capitol can elect their own representatives to be their voice in a centralizedgovernment Don’t look so suspicious; it’s worked before.»

«In books,» Haymitch mutters

«In history books,» says Plutarch «And if our ancestors could do it, then we can, too.»

Frankly, our ancestors don’t seem much to brag about I mean, look at the state they left us in,with the wars and the broken planet Clearly, they didn’t care about what would happen to the peoplewho came after them But this republic idea sounds like an improvement over our current government

«And if we lose?» I ask

«If we lose?» Plutarch looks out at the clouds, and an ironic smile twists his lips «Then I wouldexpect next year’s Hunger Games to be quite unforgettable That reminds me.» He takes a vial fromhis vest, shakes a few deep violet pills into his hand, and holds them out to us «We namedthemnightlock in your honor, Katniss The rebels can’t afford for any of us to be captured now But Ipromise, it will be completely painless.»

I take hold of a capsule, unsure of where to put it Plutarch taps a spot on my shoulder at the front

of my left sleeve I examine it and find a tiny pocket that both secures and conceals the pill Even if

my hands were tied, I could lean my head forward and bite it free

Cinna, it seems, has thought of everything